Overview of Project
In my school there is a lack of computer knowledge and an even greater lack of technology for teacher or student use. What we do have often goes unused because teachers are afraid to use it or it is used for browsing the internet and ready made websites for students to be “plugged in.” What I would like to work on for this project is a Teacher In-Service that could be presented at the beginning of the year with resources to be accessed throughout the year, in which teachers get to be more comfortable utilizing the technology they have and giving them options for integrating technology into their lesson plans. There is a variety of different technologies that I will be utilizing to make this presentation. Projectors, laptops, pre-recorded videos and demonstrations as well as handouts and resources lists that the school has available for teacher and student use.
Rationale for Project
I believe this presentation would be very beneficial to my school as well as the district I teach in, because if we begin to use the technology that we have we can work to close the achievement gap that is ever present. The use of computers and related technologies has often been linked with increased student achievement. (Gimbert & Cristol, 2004) Teachers that know about computers and especially those that don’t would also be greatly impacted simply because as I walk around the building there is a distinct lack of technology being implemented in many of the lessons.
The In-Service
I would have to break my in-service into two parts. The first part would have to include the practical use of computers as well as what they can do to help the teacher out. The second part of the in-service would be about implementing changes in lesson planning for teachers, being able to show them different ways of how they could implement technology into their lessons.
Understanding the Computer and Teacher Resources and Programs 101
The first part of the in-service would include the following topics; Understanding the Computer and Teacher Programs/Resources. In this part of the presentation about Understanding the Computer, I would give step by step instructions on the different parts of the computer and how they go together. Included in this would be how to use a video projector in a classroom (attaching it, working it and its many uses). This would be recorded so that it could be accessed at anytime in the library for teachers that would need to have a refresher course. These videos will be recorded using programs that allow me to record the screen while speaking so there will be visual step by step instructions. I feel that this brief introduction can be used to “break the ice” on topics of technology in the classroom.
The next part of the day would be a brief tutorial on teacher programs and resources including, the grading program my school uses, Power School, and Network Drives. Teachers have access to email but not everyone uses it or knows how to use it and be professional using it. Our grading program can be a bit overwhelming and I would include an overview of the most accessed or used features in the program. Only a handful of teachers in our school know how to use the school’s servers to save documents. Using the network drives that we have available to us as teachers as well as getting students to save to those will greatly increase productivity in the school, for teachers and students. Again these will be recorded as video tutorials that can be accessed for later training purposes.
Using the Internet in your classroom – Webquests and Hotlists
The second part of the in-service day would be (the part that would probably take up the majority of the day working on) the idea of incorporating technology into classroom instruction. I would focus on a couple of ideas that teachers could work on to begin to incorporate technology into their lesson plans, the first being the use of the internet. The most commonly used internet lessons anymore are webquests and hotlists. I would go over what a webquest is, how it works and how teachers could begin to build them. It would include samples of what webquests look like and how they can be beneficial in different subjects. There would be a resource sheet made that included different website to help build them (Geocities, Google Sites and even sites that have paid memberships like Quest Garden). There would be a resource guide for teachers with websites that had pre-made webquests for educators to use. I would take a look at the concept of hotlists and have examples of these as well.
The Computer as a Multimedia Teaching Device
Next, we would focus on using the computer as a multimedia device. I would first focus on audio as an instructional tool. Explaining what pod casts are and how they can be beneficial in education. How creating pod casts can help students to understand information in different ways. Resources that would accompany this would be where can you find educational pod casts and what kinds of equipment/programs are necessary for pod casting. I would also delve into the idea of voiceover projects, where they could create news casts, advertisements or even museum tours guides with their students. I would provide examples of projects done and share lists of programs, both free and pay, that could be used to actively work with this concept. Following the audio would be a video portion of instructional technology. I would explain the different ideas of using video as a classroom teaching tool, recording commercials, political commercials, video book reports or anything they can think of. We would also again look at the different features of recording video, and what goes into video production. The different programs available like iMovie and Windows Movie Maker to name some. With both of these topics (audio and video) I would brainstorm each session to see what kind of projects could be done in multiple disciplines. These would be recorded and placed in the teacher resources center in the library.
Impact on Student Learning
I feel that the impact this kind of in-service could have on a staff that is hungry to use technology but scared to implement it would be very beneficial. It would open the doors to new ways of doing things and again work towards closing the achievement gap that exists. If the staff adopts these ideas and techniques, the students would benefit in new ways of learning. Technology, in my experience and in my own classroom, has greatly increased student interest in topics covered, their desire to learn and overall the grades coming out of my class. Since I started working on my Masters in Instructional Technology, I have begun introducing technologies in my own classroom and these are just a few of the benefits that I have seen. I would like to share these benefits with all my colleagues at school and I believe this in-service would be the best forum to get the information to the teachers in the building so they can pass their knowledge onto the students.
Resources
Gimbert, B., & Cristol, D. (2004, March). Teaching Curriculum with Technology: Enhancing Children's Technological Competence During Early Childhood. Early Childhood Education Journal, 31(3), 207-216. Retrieved May 23, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
ED 570 – Final Project Proposal
Overview of Project
In my school there is a lack of computer knowledge and an even greater lack of technology for teacher or student use. What we do have often goes unused because teachers are afraid to use it or it is used for browsing the internet and ready made websites for students to be “plugged in.” What I would like to work on for this project is a Teacher In-Service that could be presented at the beginning of the year with resources to be accessed throughout the year, in which teachers get to be more comfortable utilizing the technology they have and giving them options for integrating technology into their lesson plans. There is a variety of different technologies that I will be utilizing to make this presentation. Projectors, laptops, pre-recorded videos and demonstrations as well as handouts and resources lists that the school has available for teacher and student use.
Rationale for Project
I believe this presentation would be very beneficial to my school as well as the district I teach in, because if we begin to use the technology that we have we can work to close the achievement gap that is ever present. The use of computers and related technologies has often been linked with increased student achievement. (Gimbert & Cristol, 2004) Teachers that know about computers and especially those that don’t would also be greatly impacted simply because as I walk around the building there is a distinct lack of technology being implemented in many of the lessons.
The In-Service
I would have to break my in-service into two parts. The first part would have to include the practical use of computers as well as what they can do to help the teacher out. The second part of the in-service would be about implementing changes in lesson planning for teachers, being able to show them different ways of how they could implement technology into their lessons.
Understanding the Computer and Teacher Resources and Programs 101
The first part of the in-service would include the following topics; Understanding the Computer and Teacher Programs/Resources. In this part of the presentation about Understanding the Computer, I would give step by step instructions on the different parts of the computer and how they go together. Included in this would be how to use a video projector in a classroom (attaching it, working it and its many uses). This would be recorded so that it could be accessed at anytime in the library for teachers that would need to have a refresher course. These videos will be recorded using programs that allow me to record the screen while speaking so there will be visual step by step instructions. I feel that this brief introduction can be used to “break the ice” on topics of technology in the classroom.
The next part of the day would be a brief tutorial on teacher programs and resources including, the grading program my school uses, Power School, and Network Drives. Teachers have access to email but not everyone uses it or knows how to use it and be professional using it. Our grading program can be a bit overwhelming and I would include an overview of the most accessed or used features in the program. Only a handful of teachers in our school know how to use the school’s servers to save documents. Using the network drives that we have available to us as teachers as well as getting students to save to those will greatly increase productivity in the school, for teachers and students. Again these will be recorded as video tutorials that can be accessed for later training purposes.
Using the Internet in your classroom – Webquests and Hotlists
The second part of the in-service day would be (the part that would probably take up the majority of the day working on) the idea of incorporating technology into classroom instruction. I would focus on a couple of ideas that teachers could work on to begin to incorporate technology into their lesson plans, the first being the use of the internet. The most commonly used internet lessons anymore are webquests and hotlists. I would go over what a webquest is, how it works and how teachers could begin to build them. It would include samples of what webquests look like and how they can be beneficial in different subjects. There would be a resource sheet made that included different website to help build them (Geocities, Google Sites and even sites that have paid memberships like Quest Garden). There would be a resource guide for teachers with websites that had pre-made webquests for educators to use. I would take a look at the concept of hotlists and have examples of these as well.
The Computer as a Multimedia Teaching Device
Next, we would focus on using the computer as a multimedia device. I would first focus on audio as an instructional tool. Explaining what pod casts are and how they can be beneficial in education. How creating pod casts can help students to understand information in different ways. Resources that would accompany this would be where can you find educational pod casts and what kinds of equipment/programs are necessary for pod casting. I would also delve into the idea of voiceover projects, where they could create news casts, advertisements or even museum tours guides with their students. I would provide examples of projects done and share lists of programs, both free and pay, that could be used to actively work with this concept. Following the audio would be a video portion of instructional technology. I would explain the different ideas of using video as a classroom teaching tool, recording commercials, political commercials, video book reports or anything they can think of. We would also again look at the different features of recording video, and what goes into video production. The different programs available like iMovie and Windows Movie Maker to name some. With both of these topics (audio and video) I would brainstorm each session to see what kind of projects could be done in multiple disciplines. These would be recorded and placed in the teacher resources center in the library.
Impact on Student Learning
I feel that the impact this kind of in-service could have on a staff that is hungry to use technology but scared to implement it would be very beneficial. It would open the doors to new ways of doing things and again work towards closing the achievement gap that exists. If the staff adopts these ideas and techniques, the students would benefit in new ways of learning. Technology, in my experience and in my own classroom, has greatly increased student interest in topics covered, their desire to learn and overall the grades coming out of my class. Since I started working on my Masters in Instructional Technology, I have begun introducing technologies in my own classroom and these are just a few of the benefits that I have seen. I would like to share these benefits with all my colleagues at school and I believe this in-service would be the best forum to get the information to the teachers in the building so they can pass their knowledge onto the students.
Resources
Gimbert, B., & Cristol, D. (2004, March). Teaching Curriculum with Technology: Enhancing Children's Technological Competence During Early Childhood. Early Childhood Education Journal, 31(3), 207-216. Retrieved May 23, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.